Baseball glove



H. B. LATINA BASBALL GLOVE Jan. 6, 1948.

Filed Nov. 25, 1946 INVENTOR ms ATTORNEY-S.

Patented Jan. 6, 1948 NIT E D STATES PAT E N T "O'F'Ffl jCTE 'lBASEBALL GLOVE a-Harry 11B. 'Latina, :East St. Louis, 111., assignorto Rawlings EManufacturing Company, St. Louis, Mo i'a-jcornoration of Missouri Application November 25, '1946,-Serial No.-"71- 2,17 1

This invention relates to baseball gloves-par- *ticularlyeatchers mitts of'thekind comprising *flexible 'palm and'back c'overs having theirt-ma gins laced together around a' padding i interposed therebetween. Suclrmitts aremade'of generally "circular 'form with a substantially U shaped "-thumb forming notch or crotch which-opens into a ball receiving 'pocket in the palm -surfaceof 'the mittyand-themargins of the palm-and back covers are provided-with-edge bindings and-rows of eyelets for the lacing that extendcontinuously "around the mitt'and'the thumb-forming crotch therein. This manner of securing the 'palm -an'd back covers together around the thumb fornling crotch of the mitt is objectionablebeca-use'of the additional lacing, binding and eyelets rrequired and the additional lacing, binding and eyelets required and the additional cost involved. Other I objections are reduced 'fiexibi-l-ity of :the :mitt around the crotch, the tendency: for ia-cing'rto Wear and break on the palmside' of'the mittand to cause discomfort to the hand usedimpoun'ding i the ball receiving L pocket, the tendency fora-the -.eyelets to tean the reduction in the. size'ofzthe crotch due to the additional space r'required around-"the margin thereof for the..=binding,"eyeletsand lacing.

The principal :object of thezlpresentt invention -is to. provide a mitt of the :above'type. iin'iwhich theipalm andback= coversof thei'initt are "connected togetheraroun'd the crotch 'thereofiiin: a manner which: will'overcome. all of theuobjections above. noted. The invention consists in :providing thecr'otch of the palm cover of .thexmitt withaa row or series ofimarginaliifiapst thatsaret: folded i'overv the marginal portion' of. the crot'chvofthe -:back cover and are sewed or otherwises:permarin'ently: secured thereto. :Theinventiorr also.:coni? sists Tin" providingitheiicrotch 'soft Lthe'iback; cover with a similar row or series of doubled-unclerfree,

marginal. flaps that are disposed ibeneath the spaces between the marginal fiapsof the. crotch of the palm cover. "The inventiontalso consists in the baseball glovei or mitt andiin: the :parts J- and combinations and arrangements of.-.-par.ts chereinafter' describedv and claimed.

- In: the accompanying drawing, whichdorms i parti of thisspecification andiwherein :like' sym- T bols'refer. toflike parts wherever' theyloccur,

:Eig. 1 issa view looking at the-palm side-of; a=

tcatche'rs mitt embodyingmy invention,

1 Fig. '2 'is a fragmentaryview-looking at: the :rback sideof the mitt-in the region of the crotch i p'ortionthereof,

:Fig: 3 .isran' enlarged fragmentary cross-section :2 across the crotch portion of themitt on theiline 33 in Fig; 1,

Fig. 4 is a plan' view of the palm andvback covers of the mitt,.showing the connectionaround the crotch thereof,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged-fragmentary. cross-section Fig. 6 1 is Y a. plan 'view: of: the back cover: blank; and

Figi l is a similar view ofthepalm cover blank.

In the accompanying drawing, -my invention is shown embodied inta 'paddedglovel or. catchers mitt comprisinga palmcoverfiA, arback coverwB and a pad interposed between=-said covers, all notched to provide. aflthumbfforming. crotch: l: in said mitt. The covers :are .made .of leather or other flexiblematerial and; the pad: Cis made of felt or other cushioning materialand has a":builtup marginal :portion :2 that: extends -.;,ar0.und-.said pad 1 from 1 opposite; sides .of the.:.t-humb forming crotchil of the=mitt toidefineavrelatively deep ball. receiving pocket .3-. insthe. palmsurface of the mitt, said crotch opening into :saidpocket.

The palm cover. A'is provided witha; peripheral binding 4 and a ;marginal row of reyelets .5,'..said binding: and row of eyelets :extending around the margin of .said rpalm. cover-and terminating. on opposite sides. of the crotch. I. at the outer corners thereof. The backmover B;-:is provided .witha "30' :18 which extendsthrough the marginal; eyelets 5 and l. inthe palms. and .back ;covers. A1and: B,. respectively.

The palm and -back-covers' Aaand are per- 'manently secured togetherzarounda the: sides ;and

bottom -,of the: crotch l ;of: thevmitt -with ut;,any

1bindingeyeletsorlacing. This 'secuningarNingement comprisesacontinuous row .or-series .of tabs or flaps 9 formed around thesides and :bottom .of the crotch in. the: palms cover cA-by-;means, of a series of slits IE? in the margin ofthecrotch forming portion of' said palm cover. 'if'lhe'flaps 9 are folded over the -margin of =.the crotch: forming portion of the back cover, Bandhave theirmargins sewed or otherwise permanently-secured, as

- at H, to the outer facezof-said back-cover.

"The margin of the crotch-i-formingportionof the back cover-B is doubled:.or 'fo1ded' therebeneath preferably-Lwithoutirbeingtsecured.thereto escape of the padding C. As shown in the drawing, the back cover B has a hand receiving cover D secured thereto and forming therewith separate sheaths for the thumb and fingers. The margin of the thumb forming crotch of the hand cover D overlaps and is sewed or otherwise permanently secured, as at M, to the outer end portions of the secured marginal flaps 9 of the crotch forming portion of the palm cover A.

A flexible cord l5 connects the opposite sides of the crotch I of the mitt at the outer ends of the crotch, and a flexible lacing or webbing l6 spans the crotch from side to side thereof inwardly of said cord. The cord l5 and lacing l6 enable the ball to be caught in the crotch I of the mitt; and the lacing I6 is adjustable to vary the width of the crotch and extend through eyelets I! provided therefor in the marginal flaps 9 of the palm section A and the portion of the back section B overlapped by said flaps.

The hereinbefore described glove construction has numerous and important advantages. It dispenses with and saves the cost of the binding, eyelets and lacing heretofore employed around the crotch of the mitt and permits the forming of a wider and deeper crotch. It also prevents tearing of the palm and back covers around the crotch; it also increases the flexibility of the mitt around the crotch; and it also provides a smooth surface around the crotch on the palm surface of the mitt and thus prevents the user from hurting the hand used in pounding the ball receivin pocket into shape.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described baseball glove construction admits of considerable modification. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover and padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a ball receiving pocket in said palm cover and a marginal thumb forming crotch in said glove opening into said pocket, and means connecting said covers around the margin of said padding, said means including a series of flaps formed around the marginal crotch forming portion of one of said covers and folded over and permanently secured to the outer face of the other of said covers around the marginal crotch forming portion thereof.

2. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, and means for connecting said covers together around the margin of said padding, said means including a series of flaps formed integral with the marginal crotch forming portion of said palm cover and folded over and secured to the other of said covers around the marginal crotch formin portion thereof.

3. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, and means for connecting said covers together around the margin of said pad-ding, said means including a series of flaps formed around the .marginal crotch forming portion of said palm cover and folded over and permanently secured to the outer face of said back cover around the crotch forming portion thereof.

4. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, and means for connecting said covers together around the margin of said padding, said means including a series of flaps formed around the marginal crotch forming portion of said palm cover and folded over and permanently secured to the" outer face of said back cover around the crotch forming portion thereof, said crotch forming margin of said back cover being folded therebeneath.

5. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, and means for connecting said covers together around the margin of said padding, said means including a series of flaps formed around the marginal crotch forming portion of said palm cover and folded over and permanently secured to the outer face of said back cover around the crotch forming portion thereof, said crotch forming margin of said back cover having a series of turned-under flaps lying between said back cover and padding opposite the spaces between the folded-over flaps of said palm cover.

6. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, means for connecting said covers around the margin of said padding, said means including a series of flaps formed integral with said palm cover around the crotch forming margin thereof and folded around and sewed to the outer face of said back cover around the crotch forming margin thereof, and a hand receiving cover secured to the outer face of said back cover and having a thumb forming crotch, the margin of the thumb forming crotch of said hand receiving cover overlapping and being sewed to said marginal flaps and to the portion of said back cover disposed therebeneath.

'7. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover and padding interposed therebe tween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, and means for connecting said covers together around the margin of said padding, said means comprising lacing extending through said covers around the margins thereof and terminating on opposite sides of said crotch and a series of flaps formed in the marginal crotch forming portion of said palm section and folded over and permanently secured to the outside face of said section around the marginal crotch forming portion thereof.

8. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover and padding interposed therebetween, saidcovers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, means for connecting said covers together around the margin of said padding, said means comprising lacing extending through said covers around the margins thereof and terminating on opposite sides of said crotch and a series of flaps formed around the marginal crotch forming portion of said palm cover and folded over and permanently secured to the outer face of said back section around the marginal crotch forming portion thereof, and a hand receiving cover secured to the outer face of said back cover and having a thumb forming crotch, the marginal portion of which overlaps and is permanently secured to said flaps and to the portion of the back cover overlapped thereby.

9. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, said covers being each provided with a peripheral binding and a marginal row of eyelets, said padding and row of eyelets extending around the margin of said cover and terminating on opposite sides of said crotch adjacent to the outer corners thereof, lacing extending through the eyelets of said covers for connecting them together, said palm cover having a series of flaps formed around the crotch forming margin thereof and folded over and secured to the crotch forming margin of said back cover.

10. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, said covers being each provided with a peripheral binding and a marginal row of eyelets, said binding and row of eyelets extending around the margin of said cover and terminating on opposite sides of said crotch adjacent to the outer corners thereof, a lacing extending through the eyelets of said covers for connecting them together, said palm cover having a series of flaps formed around the crotch forming margin thereof, said crotch forming margin of said back cover being folded therebeneath.

11. A baseball glove comprising a palm cover and a back cover with padding interposed therebetween, said covers and padding being shaped to provide a thumb forming crotch in said glove, said covers being each provided with a peripheral binding and a marginal row of eyelets, said binding and row of eyelets extending around the margin of said cover and terminating on opposite sides of said crotch adjacent to the outer corners thereof, a lacing extending through the eyelets of said covers for connecting them together, said palm cover having a series of flaps formed around the crotch forming margin thereof, said crotch forming margin of said back cover being folded therebeneath and being slit to provide a series of flaps located opposite the spaces between the marginal flaps of the crotch forming portion of said palm cover.

HARRY B. LATINA.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Culver Nov. 10, 1931 Number 

